Donnie Iris Dies at 83 After Final Performance

Donnie Iris died Monday at the age of 83 after a three-year fight against bladder cancer. The musician, a fixture of the Pittsburgh music scene for six decades, had performed his final concert on Sept. 28 at Citizens Live at the Wylie.

Iris achieved his highest national chart position with the Jaggerz, whose 1970 single "The Rapper" reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song referenced the act of "rapping" with romantic interests, a concept that predated the genre's modern naming. Following the Jaggerz' dissolution, Iris formed Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. The group found renewed commercial success in 1980 with "Ah! Leah!", which climbed to No. 29 on the Hot 100. Two additional mid-level hits, "Love Is Like a Rock" and "My Girl", followed in 1981.

While his national chart presence was moderate, Iris held a devoted following in Pennsylvania and the Midwest. Joe Grushecky, leader of the Iron City Houserockers, described Iris as the most beloved Pittsburgh musician of all time. Grushecky told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Iris possessed a warmth that translated directly to his stage presence.

Iris continued performing despite his illness. He took his final show seated in a chair, shortly after undergoing radiation treatment that afternoon. Mark Avsec, Iris' keyboardist and close friend of nearly 50 years, recalled the performance. Avsec noted that Iris disliked sitting but wanted to be with the audience despite the pain of his spreading cancer.

The musician's career began in the early 1960s in doo-wop groups before shifting to rock and roll. He joined Wild Cherry in the late 1970s, meeting Avsec during that tenure. The duo later recruited Marty Lee Hoenes, Albritton McClain, and Kevin Valentine to form the Cruisers. Their debut album, "Back on the Streets", was released in 1980. MCA Records dropped the band in 1984, yet they continued recording into the 2010s.

Between recording cycles, Iris worked as a mortgage broker and owned SimCorp in Aliquippa. He acknowledged that his celebrity status brought him clients who remembered his birthday shows. Industry writer Bob Lefsetz highlighted Iris' enduring talent in a 2025 column, noting that the musician remained energetic and authentic at age 82. Lefsetz observed that Iris picked his Fender guitar with the intensity of a high school band, proving he had not lost his edge.

Avsec shared a response to Lefsetz's column, stating that the crowd's joy during shows remained a constant source of happiness for him. He mentioned that Iris was undergoing his third course of chemotherapy but never showed signs of fatigue on stage. Former A&M executive Richard Pachter also responded, calling "Ah! Leah!" one of the most rock and roll videos ever made.